WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s plans to start delivery of booster shots by Sept. 20 for most Americans who received COVID-19 vaccines are facing new complications that could delay the availability for those who received the Moderna vaccine.
Biden announced last month that his administration was preparing to administer boosters for all Americans who received most vaccines in an effort to provide more enduring protection against the coronavirus, pending approvals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
But those agencies are awaiting critical data before signing off on the third doses, with Moderna’s vaccine increasingly seen as unlikely to make the Sept. 20 date.
Asked about the process, the White House said, "We always said we would follow the science, and this is all part of a process that is now underway,” according to The New York Times.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) authorized a booster shot for people with compromised immune systems. According to the CDC, approximately 1 million Americans have received a booster shot.